Doctor Who chief brands anti-woke critics ‘toxic'
Russell T Davies, the head writer for Doctor Who, has criticised 'toxic' people who claim the show is too woke.
The Welsh screenwriter and television producer, 61, said he had no time for complaints about the show's ' diversity and wokeness '.
He told BBC Radio 2: 'Someone always brings up matters of diversity. And there are online warriors accusing us of diversity and wokeness and involving messages and issues.
'And I have no time for this. I don't have a second to bear [it]. Because what you might call diversity, I just call an open door.'
He added: 'Why limit yourself? Why breathe in the exhaust fumes? Why be toxic? Come over here where the life and light and air and sound is.'
Davies, who was also behind the hit shows Queer As Folk and It's a Sin, was head writer for Doctor Who from 2005 to 2010 and began his second spell in charge in 2023.
He has previously faced criticism for placing too much focus on identity politics in the show.
Recent episodes have seen a transgender character refer to the Doctor as 'male-presenting' and a drag queen who makes the point of using 'them' as a personal pronoun.
The sci-fi series returned last week with the two lead parts played by minority ethnic actors for the first time. Ncuti Gatwa has resumed his role as the Doctor and Varada Sethu plays Belinda Chandra, his new companion.
Sethu also hit back at 'woke' claims earlier this month after she landed the role.
'Ncuti was like, 'Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We're going to p--- off so many people',' she told Radio Times, referring to their skin colour.
'There's been a couple of Doctor Woke [references] or whatever, but I just think we're doing the right thing if we're getting comments like that.
''Woke' just means inclusive, progressive and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.'
In May last year Gatwa said he felt 'sad' for critics of the show's diversity.
'For me, personally, I find it fascinating that it matters so much to these people,' he said.
'You are going to limit yourselves from a show that ... you claim to love ... because you don't like something about someone's appearance or their race. It's just ... really sad for them.'
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